Small portable air compressors are used in many ways. They provide compressed air for operating, for example, spray guns, dusting nozzles, grit blasters and pneumatic tools and for inflating tires. For light duty applications where only low air flow is required and where constant air pressure is not required, air may be delivered directly from the compressor to a tool or to fill a tire, for example. However, where more uniform air pressure is needed or where an application periodically requires greater air flow at a desired pressure than the compressor is capable of delivering, the compressor is connected to fill a compressed air storage tank to a desired high pressure and compressed air is used from the tank.
Air compressors and compressed air storage tanks are often sold as assemblies. A base is frequently welded to the air storage tank. An air compressor and an electric motor which drives the air compressor are designed to be mounted on the tank by bolting to the base. Where an air compressor and motor are manufactured as a compact stand alone assembly without an air tank, there is no convenient way to subsequently mount the assembly on a compressed air storage tank.